Break out the winter running gear, it is time for an adventure.  Winter running can be very energizing if you dress for the weather.  Layers are the key.  Check the temperature and wind chill factor before deciding how many layers you will need.  Everyone has a different tolerance level for the weather, so you may need to experiment with your runs to determine at what temperatures will require more layers.  Don’t forget to cover your ears!  You may want a scarf over your face if it dips too far below freezing.  If you are toasty warm when you first start out, you are probably over dressed!  As you run you will heat up and the many layers you thought you needed may become too much.  If you don’t have running tights, windbreaker pants and jackets and a thin pair of gloves, you might want to add them to your Christmas list.  So don’t let they cold weather scare you off the roads, winter running can be enjoyable if you are dressed appropriately.  If you are a crazy high schooler like Coach Stowers’ son, Eli Stowers, who attends Grandville High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, you might have a tradition to run in your shorts on the last day of school, (December 21, 2012), but don’t do it everyday!

Another semester has come and gone at Grace Bible College.  This week holds final exams for all students and then Christmas break.  A word of encouragement to all students, study hard, come out for food relief, and take a break by getting some fresh air and exercise.  Yes, a run would do you well.  Always a great stress reliever, it can clear your mind, give you a chance to reflect, and find solutions to problems you may not be able to figure out otherwise.  So have a great week and break.  See you next semester!

Congratulations to Elizabeth Pedersen for being awarded the scholar-athlete award by the NCCAA.  Elizabeth is a junior at Grace and has maintained a GPA of 3.75 during her years at Grace.  She is majoring in human services.  Elizabeth currently works on campus, at Pine Rest and at Kohl’s Department Store.  She has juggled all these jobs, her classes and her first year in cross-country with amazing grace this past fall.  Congratulations!

At this time of year it is easy to remember to be thankful.  God’s word talks a lot about giving thanks.  1 Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  1 Thessalonians 5:18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  Psalms 7:17 I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.

So with so many reminders to give thanks, we should remember to do so year around.  One day during a run Liz shared an interesting way to think about our daily thanksgiving.  What if, when you woke up tomorrow, the only things that you still had, were the things that you had thanked God for the day before.  Imagine, you didn’t thank him for your health?  No health.  You didn’t thank him for your family?  No family.  You didn’t thank him for your joy?  No joy.

Thankfully God is a loving, forgiving, gracious God and he does not take away the things we don’t daily thank him for.  But it does make you think.  So what are you thankful for?  Take time today to thank God for his many blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Running

The team enjoys the perfect race weather.

Grace is off to a fast start.

Liz has her eye on the finish line.

Ridge’s bloody toes after being spiked in the race.

Richard races down the hill.

Ridge takes on the competition.

The Grace cross-country team traveled to Cedarville, Ohio for the NCCAA division I and II finals.  There were 46 women’s teams and 50 men’s teams.  The weather was perfect and the course was an open, rolling, figure eight.  Ridge Tefft ran the 8k in 29:59, which is a new school record at nationals.  He beat Zack Kemper’s previous best time of 30:32 set in 2010.  There were 281 men in the race and Ridge was 174.  Of those 281, 61 were division II.  Ridge placed 13th for the division II schools!  Richard Mooney had his personal best with a time of 32:09.  He was 32nd for the division II race.  Elizabeth Pedersen toughed out her race and didn’t let the pain of glute tendinitis stop her.  Her time was 27:19 and her division II place was 47.  All three runners are looking forward to better races at nationals next year.  Congratulations for a great season and for the tremendous amount of growth accomplished as a runner/athlete to these runners during their first year of college competition.

Grace Tigers joined the fun and festivities in the Alger Heights Neighborhood for the Halloween 5k.  Richard Mooney raced in a suit and tie, Coach Stowers wore a black ballet costume and Ridge Tefft, unable to decide on a costume donned a baseball cap and Grace Tiger t-shirt.  Spectators assumed Ridge to be a bat boy, maybe for the Detroit Tigers world series game later the same day?!?  Costumes or not, everyone was happy with their times and places.  Ridge was 4th out of 711 runners with a time of 17:31, and 1st in his age group.  Richard was 12th overall with a time of 19:16, also 1st in his age group.  Both beat the previous school record time set last year by Brandon Vander Weide of 19:06.  The boys also beat celebrity runner and 1996 Olympic miler Paul McMullen.  Paul’s best mile time was 3:54, but at age 40 today he ran a 20:30 and honored Ridge, Richard and the other runners who beat him with a caramel apple.  Coach Stowers dance through the race with a time of 24:43 and was 2nd in her age group, 20th out of 407 women.

Ballerina Stowers, Bat Boy Tefft and Secret Agent Mooney

Richard, Paul McMullen (Olympic miler) and Ridge

The Grace Tigers enjoyed a beautiful day for a race along the Grand River this Saturday  October 20th.  Ridge lead most of the race, until a wrong turn added a little millage to the course for him.  He still was able to finish 3rd overall and 1st in his age group.  His time of 18:02 beat Zack Kemper’s previous school record for the Run Thru the Rapids Race of 18:06 in 2010.  Richard Mooney ran his first normal 5k (the Mud Run was anything but normal).  He was 7th male finisher with a time of 19:16, which earned him the 2nd place medal in his age group.  Yeah Richard! Congratulations on this, your first ever medal!  Elizabeth Pedersen (Liz) persevered through a painful race as her hip flared up and gave her much grief.  She had a great first mile time, but when Coach Stowers caught up to her at the 2 mile mark, Liz was already suffering.  She continued to run strong through the pain and clocked her to-date best 5k time, 25:41.  She was the 11th woman finisher and 4th in her age group.  Coach Stowers was pleased with her time which was only one second slower than last year, 24:47.  She was awarded first place in her age group and thanked Liz for pushing her in training runs.  This week will be a recovery week for Liz as she heals and prepares with the team for next weeks race at Alger Heights.

Grace is hosting an alumni and family weekend October 11-13.  There will be many fun events to participate in.  Thursday there will be a pumpkin carving contest and men’s and women’s basketball games.  Friday you can attend a special celebration chapel, men’s and women’s soccer games, and women’s volleyball game.  There will also be an Ultimate Frisbee Bowl with the freshmen vs the juniors and then the sophomores vs the seniors.  Friday you can round out the evening with a bonfire and Blue Stage.  Start the day Saturday with pumpkin smashing followed by Ultimate Frisbee Championship game, women’s volleyball, alumni basketball game and a pie eating contest to top off the day.  There is not a cross-country event scheduled for this weekend, so go out and enjoy the other events and we will see you the following weekend at Run Thru the Rapids.

Richard Mooney

The Tigers had a beautiful day to run at Grand Woods Park in Lansing, Michigan Friday September 28, 2012.  There were 20 schools competing for times and space on the narrow trails of the park.  The boys had some good 8k times despite fighting head colds all week.   Ridge Tefft was 114 out of 162 runners with a time of 29:38 and Richard Mooney was 151 with a time of 32:56.  For the women Elizabeth Pedersen ran the 5k with another personal best time of  26:18.  She was 146 out of 154 women.

Ridge Tefft off to a strong start.

Elizabeth Pedersen